Bicycle MechanicsBroken bottom bracket? Tacoed wheel? If you're having problems with your bicycle, or just need help fixing a flat, drop in here for the latest on bicycle mechanics & bicycle maintenance.

BB is italian threaded. It reads 36x24 on the fixed cup and adjustable cup. In all the books and research I have done this means italian threaded which means it threads on righty tighty, lefty loosey. Right?

Am I missing something.

I've tried everything. I tried Sheldon Browns method of using a bolt, washers and nut. I tried using a plane old 32mm wrench. I tried using a hammer on the 32mm wrench just to try to get something to budge. When I used Sheldon's method, I shattered the 5/8 attachment on my socket wrench. SHATTERED!

I'm pretty pissed at this point because my new BB arrived today and I've been looking forward to working on my bike all day.

I don't own a vice or have access to one or else I would try that.

Have any bike companies been known to FIX the fixed cups on with some sort of loctite or something. This thing ain't movin'.

Fixed cups, whether left or right threaded, are often a bear to remove. Italian and French fixed cups are often treated with LocTite, but folks who know what they're doing use the soft-set blue variety, to permit later removal.

Unable to remove the (English-threaded) fixed cup on my Capo for my repaint, I entrusted the job to Jim Cunningham, who has a vise securely mounted onto a stout vertical pipe, which in turn is secured to the floor at CyclArt. He also has the specialty tool which Rev. Chuck has discussed in the past. We succeeded using his tools, where I had failed, even with a nice 4" oldie-but-goodie Morgan vise mounted on my workbench.